BISSAU, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Guinea-Bissau has confirmed its first mpox case, prompting health authorities to activate national response mechanisms and call for heightened public vigilance.
Public Health Minister Quinhin Nantote announced the case on Saturday night, saying the patient is a 27-year-old woman who sought medical care on June 24.
Health workers collected samples from the patient's skin lesions and sent them to Guinea-Bissau's National Institute of Public Health for laboratory testing, which showed the presence of the mpox virus. The samples were later sent to the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, where the diagnosis was confirmed, Nantote said at a press conference.
Following the confirmation, Guinea-Bissau's health authorities activated national response mechanisms in line with the International Health Regulations and guidelines of the World Health Organization. Epidemiological investigations have been launched to identify and monitor the patient's contacts.
Nantote said surveillance has been reinforced across the country and at border points, while urging the public to observe basic preventive measures, including frequent handwashing and avoiding close contact with people showing fever or skin rashes.
Mpox is a viral disease typically transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials. Common symptoms include fever, muscle aches, skin lesions and swollen lymph nodes. ■